In addition to highlighting parts of her well-received book, “Take a Deep Breath” Dr. Shapiro talked about her collaboration with RAND researchers to create a comprehensive labeling guideline for foods in order to stop the scourge of children choking. Choking a scourge? Yes.
Emergency rooms see 10,000 visits per year due to choking incidents, mostly from foods and these incidents can be fatal: one child dies every five days in the United States after a choking accident.
Toys are labeled for safety by federal law, but there are no food safety guidelines for parents and caregivers. Dr. Shapiro is collaborating with RAND Corporation to study choking incidence data and published literature to identify foods that generate high risk and correlate those data by age.
She hopes to use these findings t
o recruit a national panel of pediatric experts, including otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, emergency-room physicians, and intensivists (intensive-care-unit specialists).
Dr. Shapiro also discussed her other research focus, PTLD. Children who receive solid organ transplants are at risk for developing enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, for this population, can be an early sign of lymphoma. UCLA is a center of excellence in pediatric solid organ transplantation, making it the ideal environment for such investigation due to outstanding multidisciplinary expertise and a high volume of patients. For the past 12 years, Dr. Shapiro has been studying and identifying risk factors associated with post-transpl
ant lymphoma of the tonsils.
As usual, The Napa Valley Grille served stellar food in a warm and inviting atmosphere where an educational evening was enjoyed by all.
For those interested in learning more about UCLA’s current research projects and how these can be supported, contact Kathleen Lago at the UCLA Health Sciences Development, klago@support.ucla.edu
For more information on Dr. Shapiro: www.drninashapiro.com
For more information on UCLA’s Otolaryngology Departments: www.headandnecksurgery.ucla.edu
For more information on the Napa Valley Grille: www.napavalleygrille.com
